Feeding Stranded Bangladeshis
In today’s Arab Times is an op-ed piece by the Rev. Andy Thompson on the continuing plight of Bangladeship workers, whose employers stopped paying their 20KD salary PER MONTH (can YOU imagine?) and who now – only want to go home.
Over the summer, many people from many walks of life in Kuwait worked together to help try to see that these men got some food, and then tried to find a more equitable and lasting solution.
By Rev Andy Thompson
St Paul’s Anglican Church, Ahmadi
JUST before the summer holidays started, the Arab Times recorded a disturbing story about the plight of over a thousand Bangladeshi workers who had not been paid their paltry KD 20 a month for many months and so they consequently went on strike. With no money, no hope and living in appalling conditions these workers were at the end of their tether. A subsequent Arab Times article called “You can make a difference”, challenged readers to respond by at least making sure that the Bangladeshi workers did not go hungry. The story had clearly touched the hearts of many Arab Times readers and the response was fantastic. Over the last two months, food has been flowing into the Bangladeshi workers residence. I wish I could publicly acknowledge the many people who helped, but typically they gave generously and anonymously. They include both Kuwaiti and expatriate, rich and poor, Christian and Muslim. They were united in their repulsion of the inhuman and unacceptable treatment by a greedy and unscrupulous company who traded human misery for profit
You can read the rest of the article (and it is worth reading) HERE.
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Bless this man & all the people involved 🙂 It just makes me happy when someone feels for their fellow human beings & those workers truly suffer in the heat ….
Especially during Ramadan, I wish people would have pity and find a way to help these poor people get back home. Imagine coming here, full of hope, and being treated as a beast of burden, whipped, held in a compound, paid a pittance . . . let these people go!
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Every little gesture and act of kindness counts
You are right, Jewaira. Here is what I am hoping. I am hoping someone out there has one HUGE sin on his heart that he wants to be forgiven, and that this person has a lot of wasta. There is such a tangled skein where these Bangladeshis are concerned, and it can all untangle if the right person cares, expedites, puts pressure on the right button. We are mostly all believers, here, and we know that God/Allah can do anything, and that he often uses us to do it. Please, in your prayers, please pray that these poor workers, the poorest of the poor, find a powerful advocate, that the stalemate can be broken and that they can be returned home to their families.
I met him in person..the wife & I did a donation campaign in the company & amazingly we got a lot of money & stuff.
The Rev. is quite a man, very interesting and quite dedicated. He’s a blog reader & I’m hoping he notices yours! 🙂
No kidding, Я? What a small world! And good on ya, raising the money to feed and clothe these pitiful creatures. Isn’t it amazing what people can do when they put their minds – and hearts – to work, together?
Maybe the Rev will start his own blog! He writes for the Arab Times, like our friend Hilaliya.
How can we get these unpaid Bangledeshi workers home?